[1][2] The church is one of the earliest surviving examples of 16th-century Spanish Gothic architecture in the Western hemisphere.

[5] The church was constructed from 1528 to 1735 by the Dominican Order as part of the Saint Aquinas Monastery.

His grandson, Juan Ponce de Leon II is buried in the crypt beneath the Sanctuary's floor.

Puerto Rican painter José Campeche is also buried in the church.

In 2002, a restoration project on the structure began and several painted murals were discovered including a mid-19th century depiction of the Battle of Lepanto.